


The Glimpse

by SarahTaylor90



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, Bittersweet, F/M, First Meetings, M/M, Pre-Slash, Short One Shot, Tony Stark Feels, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 21:47:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11792130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahTaylor90/pseuds/SarahTaylor90
Summary: Tony is finally at peace with himself: he has gotten over his troubled past, managed to fight his addiction and is preparing to settle down with beautiful Pepper Potts. He has no reason to contemplate what-ifs.Or does he? Enter Steve Rogers.





	The Glimpse

**Author's Note:**

> Hi folks! I have been kind of obsessed with the Avengers characters for almost two years now, and the whole thing started with my hatred for Tony. Yeah, well... that kinda changed in a 180° way since then. So I decided it is about time I try my hand at writing fanfiction for the first time in a decade, hence this little something about our dear Mr. Stark that I came up with for practice. I'd love to know what you think, any comments and constructive criticism is welcome, so please leave a line for me! Oh, and also keep in mind that English is not my native language - I appreciate feedback on the language as well.

Tony didn’t expect it to happen now. 

Truth be told, he didn’t expect it to happen at all. He was not the sort of person to dwell on what-ifs or could-have-beens; he was very much living in the here and now. Carpe diem, and all that jazz. 

When he was younger, the only thing that mattered was that he enjoyed himself in the moment. Back then, he didn’t have much of a past to look back on, and the future he did not care about. In fact, he believed his future will not be very long. One could have even argued that with all the alcohol he was consuming, his not-so-occasional drug usage, and the extensive partying, his future would not stretch beyond a few glamorous but pathetic years. 

And now? Well, now he had a life story. It was full of mistakes, unfortunate accidents, bittersweet memories. But not regrets. The mistakes he made formed him into who he was; they formed him, they shaped him. They made it possible to tentatively glance into his now probably realistically shorter, but much brighter looking future. To, for the first time, hesitantly make plans.

So no, it is not like he ever expected this to happen, but certainly not now, when he was finally… stable. Responsible. 

Mature. 

Over the alcohol and the rehab and the drugs. 

A (once again) successful engineer, owner and ex-CEO of his own company. Named, well, if not the most eligible bachelor by People, but certainly one of the most charitable millionaire by Forbes.

But most of all: a loving boyfriend. A fiance. A future husband. 

For the first time in his - after all surprisingly long - life, a happy person. As happy as he ever remembered being; as happy as he believed he could ever, ever be; as he ever deserved to be. 

He definitely did not expect it to happen. But he also did not imagine it could ever happen to anyone – as a scientist, he firmly denied the existence of alternate universes, as he saw no tangible evidence for them. Time? Sure, that could be messed with, hypothetically. But dimensions?

No way. 

Yet, he did not know what else to call it but a glimpse to an alternate universe, when, at the annual Maria Stark Foundation Gala, which he was attending with the radiant and soon to be Mrs. Pepper Stark at his side, he was introduced to decorated war veteran and art patron Steve Rogers, shook his hand, and his life flashed before his eyes. 

Only it was not his life. It was some other Tony Stark; younger, more energetic, maybe a bit less beaten up by fate’s blows, but troubled all the same. It was Other Tony Stark meeting Other Steve Rogers for the first time at some Other Place and Other Time. It was Other Tony Stark forging a friendship with Other Steve Rogers. It was Other – younger - Tony Stark living a seemingly buzzing, hectic but happy life, with friends – Other Steve, and Other Rhodey, and Other Pepper - by his side. It was Other Tony losing his parents, and mourning, and getting depressed… but staying away from the booze and the hard drugs. 

Then it was Other Tony, but older, getting kissed by Other Steve. Other Tony moving into a small apartment (very, very small compared to the Malibu penthouse) with Other Steve. It was Other Tony, in a tux, looking into Other Steve’s eyes, and saying „yes”, and Other Pepper having tears in hers as she clapped, while Other Tony and Other Steve kissed. It was Other Tony and Other Steve, cuddling a little infant to their chests. It was Other Tony and Steve on a playground, pushing a swing back and forth, their laughter mingling with a child’s. It was Other TonyandSteve walking on the street, holding a little boy’s hands from both sides. 

It was Other TonyadnSteve smiling; it was other TonyandSteve hugging; it was SteveandTony kissing, SteveandTony being happy, SteveandTony speding their life together, creating a family. 

No, Tony certainly did not expect this to happen; he did not expect to see all this, and feel the shock, then the unbelievable yearning to have it for himself… and the bitterness when he realized he could not.

He had probably been shaking Steve Roger’s hand for way longer then it was appropriate; he swiftly let go of it. 

Steve Rogers was looking at him with mild boredom.

Pepper was asking if he was alright. 

And Tony knew that in a few seconds he would make his excuses to get to the gentlemen’s to pull himself together. In a few minutes he would be back, rubbing shoulders with the important people like he was expected to. In a few hours, he would go home with Pepper, and make love to her in their bed. In a few weeks, he would marry her. 

And in a few years, he would have nothing to complain about. He would be as content as he could be, in this world. 

But he knew he would never be as happy as he saw Other Tony being; and while he will not be wondering „what if” for the majority of the time – he would have Pepper, after all -, he will have his fair share of nights where sleep would be eluding him. On these nights, he will get up from his bed, leave his beautiful wife sleeping, and he will wonder down to his workshop, and he will be wishing for a drink, and he will be thinking of Other Steve Rogers. 

He knew this, and it only took him a few seconds to make his peace with it.

He took a deep breath, and made his excuses.


End file.
